Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engagestudents during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?
Observations:
Thursday, September 29th 2011, I observed Ms. Malone's teaching strategies and analyzed how she began each class.
The time is 7:20 am and the first period bell rings. Ms. Malone is standing at the front of the room of her Anatomy class and starts the class by reminding them of the quiz taking place today. She tells the class she will give them the first five minutes to study and look over any last thinks, and takes a seat to allow them to do so. After five minutes, she stands back up and shares a story with the class before they begin their quiz. She explains she received a text from a previous student (who had her number only due to a field trip they went on in NYC the year before) and wants to read it to them because she thinks it will help. Ms. Malone shares with the class that a student contacted her saying thank you for teaching them Anatomy until "they could recite it in their sleep", because now she is doing very well in her college anatomy class and is receiving A's. After this, Ms. Malone describes the instructions for the quiz, distributes it, and the class begins.
In second, third, and fourth period Ms. Malone was also successful in maintaining classroom control while beginning the lessons. The second period class is an eleventh and twelfth grade inquiry Biology class with many students with special needs. There is a special needs teacher present as well. When the bell rings, some students are missing so Ms. Malone goes out into the hall. As each student strolls in late, she asks them why they are late and what they should have done instead to be there on time. She then gives them a warning and tells them that next time it will be detention. She begins the class by reminding them they have a quiz today and asks why only three students are taking advantage of this time to study. Ms. Malone then reviews the quiz material verbally by asking questions and having the students answer. After she feels the students are prepared, she distributes the quiz. Third and fourth period are honors Biology classes of eleventh and twelfth grade students. She begins these classes by reminding the students that today they will be finishing their organic compounds lab so they should get right to work. The students were already seated at their lab tables and beginning to work as she was saying this, which I assume is due to a routine already set up to ensure the students utilize as much class time as possible.
Reflections:
Ms. Malone believes in giving her students some review time before quizzes. I believe this allows the students to recall the information they studied. They key here is that students need to study on their own time first and need to understand this is just a review, and they cannot simply learn all the material in five minutes. The M.O.V.E.R mnemonic device that stands for meaningful learning, organization, visual imagery, elaboration and review, is a method to help students store information in their long term memory. These extra five minutes fall in the important category of reviewing, and by doing so is allowing the students to further their understanding for the taught material. When the teacher shared the success story with her class, she was showing the students how the class and subject matter was important to them and how they might use it in the future. By doing this she drew a connection between the subject and the students by exemplifying its potential for success and its importance to them. She provided a reason to be motivated, an important connection in teaching that I too hope to incorporate in my teaching.
In the inquiry biology class and honors biology classes Ms. Malone was successful in establishing order and beginning the class by using positive reinforcement and by addressing tardiness issues in a calm, coherent way. By correcting the students behavior, they were able to see what they did wrong and were provided ways to avoid this problem in the future. Ms. Malone was clear by stating the rules, kind in her explanations and concise to minimize distraction and further delay the class. I hope to someday have this kind of patience and control. She also issued a detention warning which gave the student a reminder of the rules and the consequences of if he/she doesn't follow them again. This way the student now is aware of the rules and is able to have that choice to either follow them, or be faced with the consequences. This "choice theory" has been studied at length and is supported by Cantor and Cantor. I agree with Ms. Malone in giving the students this choice, and hope to incorporate this is my teaching. I would be slightly more assertive though because it is the third week of school already, and believe the students should have been aware of this rule. Another aspect of Ms. Malones teaching I plan to use in my teaching is her use of positive reinforcement to recognize the class' good behavior in coming into the classroom and breaking up into their groups and beginning to work. This sends a good message to the students who are now more likely to act this way again in the future. This also shows how having a classroom routine benefits the class as a whole by maximizing time and maintaining good classroom behaviors.
Class Topic: Body Cavities (Anatomy), Parts of a microscope and how they function (inquiry bio), and organic compounds (honors bio) Grade: 11th and 12th Observed by: Kathryn Capone
Observation/Reflection #1: Starting From the Beginning
During this observation, focus on how class begins. Where is your CT before class begins? What is he or she doing? Using the clock on the wall, determine when your CT establishes order and begins class. How did she/he start their lesson? How is homework from the previous night reviewed/collected/assessed? How does your CT engagestudents during the opening of the lesson? Is the approach your CT used during this lesson consistent with what you know about how students learn?Observations:
Thursday, September 29th 2011, I observed Ms. Malone's teaching strategies and analyzed how she began each class.
The time is 7:20 am and the first period bell rings. Ms. Malone is standing at the front of the room of her Anatomy class and starts the class by reminding them of the quiz taking place today. She tells the class she will give them the first five minutes to study and look over any last thinks, and takes a seat to allow them to do so. After five minutes, she stands back up and shares a story with the class before they begin their quiz. She explains she received a text from a previous student (who had her number only due to a field trip they went on in NYC the year before) and wants to read it to them because she thinks it will help. Ms. Malone shares with the class that a student contacted her saying thank you for teaching them Anatomy until "they could recite it in their sleep", because now she is doing very well in her college anatomy class and is receiving A's. After this, Ms. Malone describes the instructions for the quiz, distributes it, and the class begins.
In second, third, and fourth period Ms. Malone was also successful in maintaining classroom control while beginning the lessons. The second period class is an eleventh and twelfth grade inquiry Biology class with many students with special needs. There is a special needs teacher present as well. When the bell rings, some students are missing so Ms. Malone goes out into the hall. As each student strolls in late, she asks them why they are late and what they should have done instead to be there on time. She then gives them a warning and tells them that next time it will be detention. She begins the class by reminding them they have a quiz today and asks why only three students are taking advantage of this time to study. Ms. Malone then reviews the quiz material verbally by asking questions and having the students answer. After she feels the students are prepared, she distributes the quiz. Third and fourth period are honors Biology classes of eleventh and twelfth grade students. She begins these classes by reminding the students that today they will be finishing their organic compounds lab so they should get right to work. The students were already seated at their lab tables and beginning to work as she was saying this, which I assume is due to a routine already set up to ensure the students utilize as much class time as possible.
Reflections:
Ms. Malone believes in giving her students some review time before quizzes. I believe this allows the students to recall the information they studied. They key here is that students need to study on their own time first and need to understand this is just a review, and they cannot simply learn all the material in five minutes. The M.O.V.E.R mnemonic device that stands for meaningful learning, organization, visual imagery, elaboration and review, is a method to help students store information in their long term memory. These extra five minutes fall in the important category of reviewing, and by doing so is allowing the students to further their understanding for the taught material. When the teacher shared the success story with her class, she was showing the students how the class and subject matter was important to them and how they might use it in the future. By doing this she drew a connection between the subject and the students by exemplifying its potential for success and its importance to them. She provided a reason to be motivated, an important connection in teaching that I too hope to incorporate in my teaching.
In the inquiry biology class and honors biology classes Ms. Malone was successful in establishing order and beginning the class by using positive reinforcement and by addressing tardiness issues in a calm, coherent way. By correcting the students behavior, they were able to see what they did wrong and were provided ways to avoid this problem in the future. Ms. Malone was clear by stating the rules, kind in her explanations and concise to minimize distraction and further delay the class. I hope to someday have this kind of patience and control. She also issued a detention warning which gave the student a reminder of the rules and the consequences of if he/she doesn't follow them again. This way the student now is aware of the rules and is able to have that choice to either follow them, or be faced with the consequences. This "choice theory" has been studied at length and is supported by Cantor and Cantor. I agree with Ms. Malone in giving the students this choice, and hope to incorporate this is my teaching. I would be slightly more assertive though because it is the third week of school already, and believe the students should have been aware of this rule. Another aspect of Ms. Malones teaching I plan to use in my teaching is her use of positive reinforcement to recognize the class' good behavior in coming into the classroom and breaking up into their groups and beginning to work. This sends a good message to the students who are now more likely to act this way again in the future. This also shows how having a classroom routine benefits the class as a whole by maximizing time and maintaining good classroom behaviors.
Class Topic: Body Cavities (Anatomy), Parts of a microscope and how they function (inquiry bio), and organic compounds (honors bio)
Grade: 11th and 12th
Observed by: Kathryn Capone